Regional Consultation on the Longterm National Development Plan
1
Chairman’s Opening Remarks at the Upper East Regional Consultation on the Preparation of a Long term National Development Plan for Ghana Delivered by Upper East Regional Representative of NDPC, Ambassador Donald Adabre
Date: 10th September 2015 Venue: Ghana Health Service In-Service Training Centre, Bolgatanga Honourable Regional Minister, Deputy Regional Minister, Member of the Council of State, Director General of NDPC and staff, Political Party representatives, Commissioners of NDPC present, Hon. MCEs/DCEs present, Vice-President of the Upper East Region House of Chiefs, Heads of Departments, Distinguished guests, The press; On behalf of myself, the Regional Coordinating Council, NDPC and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, I wish to welcome you all to this august occasion. This is a special occasion for the Chiefs and people of the Upper East Region to take the opportunity offered them to contribute their quota by way of participation in this forum towards the preparation of the long-term national development plan. Ladies and gentlemen, The idea of a long-term development plan is not a new thing to us. Right from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party government to the National Liberation Council, through to Professor Busia’s Progress Party government to the National Redemption Council to the Supreme Military Council to Dr. Limann’s People’s National Party to the Provision National Defence Council to the National Democratic Congress, they all had plans. What is important for you to note is that none of these plans ever ran their full course. The reasons are well known to us, either a coup d’état disrupted and discontinued the plan or a civilian government, on taking over from its predecessor, just disassociated itself REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Chairman’s Opening Remarks in Upper East Region ©NDPC, 2015
2 from previous government plans. It is, therefore, common to observe that there is little sense of ownership and commitment to national development plans. Ladies and gentlemen, Drawing up the national development plan is one of the responsibilities of NDPC, which derives its authority from the 1992 Constitution (Articles 88 and 87). It is a known fact that several well-meaning Ghanaians in and out of Ghana have called on successive governments to put in place a long-term development plan that will be respected, owned and revered by the citizens of Ghana. It must also not be forgotten that the Constitutional Review Commission recommended that the country should adopt a long-term development plan. It is, therefore, not surprising that NDPC has taken the bull by the horns by initiating this preparatory consultative process to fashion out a proposed 40year development plan. Ladies and gentlemen, It is the turn of the Upper East Region after that of the Ashanti Region and I believe that we shall utilise our time very well. This is the time to tell us about your “big dreams” as to how you want this region to look by 2057. For a long-term development plan to be acceptable and protected by all Ghanaians, its preparation must be participatory and inclusive regardless of your political party affiliation. All political parties should play their roles well in this undertaking because they are the ones who will come to power and go out of power. Once everybody is a party to this covenant, there shall no longer be any rejection or disassociation of any long-term development plan produced from those consultations. Party manifestoes can be situated within the framework of the long-term development plan. Ladies and gentlemen, In accepting the opportunity to chair this important function, I wish to entreat every one of you not to let this chance slip by. Every contribution will be taken on board towards the fashioning of the 40-year development plan. I wish you a splendid forum.
REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Chairman’s Opening Remarks in Upper East Region ©NDPC, 2015
Chairman’s Opening Remarks at the Upper East Regional Consultation on the Preparation of a Long term National Development Plan for Ghana Delivered by Upper East Regional Representative of NDPC, Ambassador Donald Adabre
Date: 10th September 2015 Venue: Ghana Health Service In-Service Training Centre, Bolgatanga Honourable Regional Minister, Deputy Regional Minister, Member of the Council of State, Director General of NDPC and staff, Political Party representatives, Commissioners of NDPC present, Hon. MCEs/DCEs present, Vice-President of the Upper East Region House of Chiefs, Heads of Departments, Distinguished guests, The press; On behalf of myself, the Regional Coordinating Council, NDPC and the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, I wish to welcome you all to this august occasion. This is a special occasion for the Chiefs and people of the Upper East Region to take the opportunity offered them to contribute their quota by way of participation in this forum towards the preparation of the long-term national development plan. Ladies and gentlemen, The idea of a long-term development plan is not a new thing to us. Right from Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party government to the National Liberation Council, through to Professor Busia’s Progress Party government to the National Redemption Council to the Supreme Military Council to Dr. Limann’s People’s National Party to the Provision National Defence Council to the National Democratic Congress, they all had plans. What is important for you to note is that none of these plans ever ran their full course. The reasons are well known to us, either a coup d’état disrupted and discontinued the plan or a civilian government, on taking over from its predecessor, just disassociated itself REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Chairman’s Opening Remarks in Upper East Region ©NDPC, 2015
2 from previous government plans. It is, therefore, common to observe that there is little sense of ownership and commitment to national development plans. Ladies and gentlemen, Drawing up the national development plan is one of the responsibilities of NDPC, which derives its authority from the 1992 Constitution (Articles 88 and 87). It is a known fact that several well-meaning Ghanaians in and out of Ghana have called on successive governments to put in place a long-term development plan that will be respected, owned and revered by the citizens of Ghana. It must also not be forgotten that the Constitutional Review Commission recommended that the country should adopt a long-term development plan. It is, therefore, not surprising that NDPC has taken the bull by the horns by initiating this preparatory consultative process to fashion out a proposed 40year development plan. Ladies and gentlemen, It is the turn of the Upper East Region after that of the Ashanti Region and I believe that we shall utilise our time very well. This is the time to tell us about your “big dreams” as to how you want this region to look by 2057. For a long-term development plan to be acceptable and protected by all Ghanaians, its preparation must be participatory and inclusive regardless of your political party affiliation. All political parties should play their roles well in this undertaking because they are the ones who will come to power and go out of power. Once everybody is a party to this covenant, there shall no longer be any rejection or disassociation of any long-term development plan produced from those consultations. Party manifestoes can be situated within the framework of the long-term development plan. Ladies and gentlemen, In accepting the opportunity to chair this important function, I wish to entreat every one of you not to let this chance slip by. Every contribution will be taken on board towards the fashioning of the 40-year development plan. I wish you a splendid forum.
REGIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE LONG-TERM NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Chairman’s Opening Remarks in Upper East Region ©NDPC, 2015
